Los Campesinos!

Twee – yes. Ace – yes. Los Campesinos! are another one of my favourite live bands. There appeared to be a rugby match taking place elsewhere as well. Topical.

Date: October 20, 2007

Venue: Rescue Rooms

As an escape from the egg-chasing cup final, watching seven loons from Cardiff rocket their way through a set of kaleidoscopic fun-pop is about as far away as you can get without taking flight.

This genial, three-girl, four-boy, vocal-sharing septet offer up jerky tweeness and confusing time signatures like Belle and Sebastian simultaneously sharing a stage with XTC.

It’s a vibrant explosion reinforced with a DIY aesthetic with more instruments than a school music lesson. And it’s these instruments – fiddle, xylophone and melodica included – which are throttled to within an inch of their lives on anthem-in-waiting You! Me! Dancing! – a song which encapsulates their quirkiness, and which is typical of the fun they’re having.

Like the Young Knives ditching their sharp tweed for something altogether more colourful, it’s a joyous affair and ensures everyone has a new favourite song to whistle. England lost their battle; these guys just keep on winning.